this morning -- severe storms for half the country. >> tracking two extremes. warm air spawning damaging winds overnight in the south, as the north braces for ice. stock surge. all eyes watching the stock market today. will it hit that new magic number 14,000? a rocket ride putting more money in your pocket. exit interview, a candid hillary clinton on the question everyone is asking. what's next? and life changer. the most complicated operation of its kind a soldier who lost all four of his limbs in battle talks about his two new arms.

good wednesday morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm sunny hostin. we begin with the weather extremes. winter warnings in effect this morning in eight states with snow and plunging temps from kansas to michigan. that follows a day of soaring record highs. >> violent storms are still sweeping in this morning from texas to the midwest. they've spawned several unusual janitor nay does that flipped rvs and sent trees and powerlines crashing into homes. accuweather's jim dickey has more. >> an unusually warm day expected. a strong system moving into canada. plenty of rainfall with this. strong storms. temperature-wise, many areas challenging if not setting new highs today. 69 degrees in the b.c. area. mid 60s in pittsburgh as well.

80s across florida. rob and sunny, back to you. >> thanks, jim. for much more on the weather ups and downs, stay with us for "good morning america." sam champion will be here with the latest on the snow, the twirss, and topsy-turvy temperatures. >> old man winter taking us for a ride. the other big story, the economy. the powerful rally on wall street. if you've invested in stocks, these are good days. >> and for the reasons stocks are reaching near record levels, we're joined by tahman bradley here in new york. >> so nice to be with you here. seems like the economy is turning around. new data is sh are giving both investors and home owners reasons to smile. the economy posts numbers we haven't seen in years. it looks and feels like a comeback. stocks and the nation's housing market are soaring. the dow nearly hit the 14,000

mark yesterday, reaching the highest level in fife years. after an increase in 850 points in january, the dow is only 200 points away in the all-time high. the result, american investments are surging. the average 401(k) retirement account increased 20% in the last year. from $64,000 to $80,000. >> the worst case scenarios, people can start to think, all right, we're not going the go there. >> reporter: on the housing front, home prices rose 5.5% in november. the biggest year to year increase since the housing bubble. >> this is a miracle in motion. we haven't seen this in probable seb years. >> reporter: housing prices up ten months in a row, up the most in phoenix, nearly 23%. why are buyers lining up? interest rates are historically low. >> we're this the bottom right now, spinning out of it.

that gets many off the fence. >> reporter: some americans are sitting on the sidelines waiting for their home value to recover completely. while it seems to economy is humming along, the country is still not out of the woods yet. numbers due out today are expected to show anemic growth. >> tahman bradley. thank you so much for joining us this morning. >> always good to have you live in the flesh. thanks for making the trip. overnight, south korea answered north korea with a rocket launch of its own. north korea had its own successful rocket launch last month. in egypt this morning, civil war appears increasingly likely now that the government is losing control. protesters defied the curfew once again. the head of the military has warned that egypt could colpse

under the weight of the political unrest. the crisis in egypt will be among the big challenges of senator john kerry as secretary of state. and the outgoing secretary, hillary clinton, says she looks forward to the changes in her personal and political life, including the chance to sleep late on occasion. "nightline" anchor cynthia mcfadden sat down with clinton as her term comes to an end. >> reporter: she's been secretary of sate for four years. visited 112 countries, more than any of her pred sersz. logged more than 1 million miles. it's where she is going next that has everybody talking. can you still say with a straight face there is no way you would consider running for president. >> sitting here right now, that's certainly what i believe.

i'm still the secretary of state. i'm not in politics. >> reporter: are we up to maybe. >> that's very good, cynthia. well, of course, of course, i am flattered and honored. i didn't know about some of these things that are happening now. i don't know how else to say it. but i am going to get back into my life again. >> reporter: a recent series of medical problems have been no laughing matter. it is good to see you looking so healthy. >> thank you, thank you. >> reporter: it really was a serious health scare. >> it was a big surprise to me, because i've been so healthy for my entire life. i'm getting fully recovered. i will be back to full speed. but, i'm grateful for the excellent care i got. >> reporter: in her testimony, she pulled no punches. >> with all due respect, we had four dead americans. was it because of a protest? >> reporter: you lost your temper at the hearings.

>> what is said to me is not in keeping with the seriousness of the issue and the obligation we all have as public servants. >> reporter: so you stand by what you said. >> absolutely. >> well-earned time off. >> yes. >> we'll see what happens next. all right, coming up next after the break, 44 years and not a single sick day. plus, the growing concern on college campuses. tough times and landing that first job after graduation. and later in "the pulse" in the battle of man versus machine, see how machine usually wins.

welcome back, everyone. as we mentioned earlier, wall street is flirting with 14,000. the dow jones industrial average this morning opens less than six points away from that milestone after closing at its highest point in nearly five years. the dow was up 72 points yesterday. the nasdaq index was off less than a point. boeing reportedly knew about problems with the dreamliner's batteries before all the jets were grounded this month. both japanese airlines flying the planes replaced a dozen of the lithium ion batteries. some bad news for college students. nearly half of recent college grads are working in jobs that don't require a bachelor's degree. the study found that 38% are in jobs that don't require a high school degree.

but having a college diploma pays benefits later in a career. this could be a do or die day for blackberry. research in motion is introducing new software and pep tos that it hopes will return blackberry to dominance. and youtube will reportedly begin offering paid subscriptions for individual channels. it might include programs and live events. up until now, they relied on advertising revenue for payment. and neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor -- well, not feeling well kept a detroit postal worker from her job. debra ford retires tomorrow after 44 years without ever taking a sick day. she's payroll clerk at detroit's main post office. she'll be rewarded with an extra 5% in her pension. >> you don't see that kind of

worker loyalty and dedication these days. that is a dying breed. tip my hat to her. i'm going the call out six sometime next week. when we come back this morning, courage and recovery. a soldier talks about the unprecedented surgery that gave him, literally, a new set of arms. also ahead, alex rodriguez at the center of another doping scandal. could this be a-rod's final strike? [ male announcer ] everyday thousands of people are choosing advil®. my name is taho and i'm a fish guy. it's a labor of love. it's a lot of labor and it's a lot of love. i don't need to go to the gym. my job is my workout. you're shoveling ice all day long. it's rough on the back. it's rough on the shoulders. i get muscle aches all over. advil® is great. pain and soreness is just out of the picture. [ male announcer ] make the switch. take action. take advil®. and for sinus congestion, now you can get advil® combined with a proven decongestant. breathe easier with advil® congestion relief.

[ woman ] too weak. wears off. been there. tried that. ladybug body milk? no thanks. [ female announcer ] stop searching and start repairing. eucerin professional repair moisturizes while actually repairing very dry skin. it's so powerful you can skip a day... but light enough you won't want to. dermatologist recommended eucerin. the end of trial and error has arrived. try a free sample at eucerinus.com. check out this bizarre scene in west texas. tumble weeds blowing in every direction. powerful winds sent so many of them bouncing around midland county that this dirt road was completely covered at times. drivers had to carefully break them up to keep driving.

we have slick highways across the northwest. a wet ride for much of the eastern third of the country. if you're flying, airport delays are possible in chicago, new orleans and detroit, along the east coast in atlanta, charlotte, d.c., philly, new york, an boston. back to the excuse me -- back to the news this morning. a story we've been watching overnight. police in midland city are involved in a standoff with man they believe is holding a 6-year-old little boy hostage. >> they say he boarded a school bus earlier in the day, shot the driver several times and kidnapped the boy. the driver later die fpd suspect is identified as a 65-year-old man scheduled to appear in court this morning on a menacing charge. in other new this is morning -- >> the nra says boosting school security is more effective in banning assault weapons in reducing gun violence. a top nra official appears on

capitol hill this morning. wayne lapierre says police need to enforce existing gun laws and deny weapons to the mentally ill. and the master mind of the manti te'o hoax is telling his side of the story for the first time. ron nigh ya tuiasosopo's interview with dr. phil interviews tomorrow. coming forward with the truth is part of the healing. he'll provide exact details of the hoax, in which he fooled te'o into believing he was his girlfriend. former soldier brendan marrocco insisted on wheeling himself into a news conference yesterday. he used the arms that he had transplanted weeks ago. he also lost both lesion in a

roadside bombing in iraq. >> i can rotate a little bit. this arm is pretty much not much movement at all. not yet. at least we're hopeful for the future to get some good function out of it. out of both of them. i really don't know what to say. it's such a big thing for my life. it's -- it's just fantastic. >> fantastic is an understatement. next up for him, several years of rehab, as you might imagine. doctors say one of the reasons he was chosen for the double arm transplant was his gritty determination to regain independence. we all salute that young man. an update on barbara walters. we're happy to report she's out of the hospital and recovering from chickenpox at home. she's in her own bed and getting stronger, as we knew she would. new york yankees slugger alex rodriguez is among several

major leaguers under investigation for the possible use of performance-enhancing drugs. rodriguez is denying the report that says he was involved. this morning, espn new york reports that the yankees are attempted to void the remainder of a-rod's hefty contract. and the 49ers and ravens can get down the business now that the supersuper bowl's media day is done. the headline, ray lewis denying a report that he used performance-enhancing drugs trying to recover from a torn triceps earlier this season. and randy moss seems serious when he says he's the best wide receiver ever. it was a wild finish between the mavs and the blazers. fourth quarter, tied at 101-101

dirk nowitzki looking for the lead. he gets 3 of his 26 points here to put the mavs up, 104-101, with 11 seconds to go. under 10 seconds, the three, the first triple of the season to tie it at 104-104. 1.5 seconds left. aldridge for the win, his second career buzzer batter. the blazers win, 106-104 in dramatic fashion. college hoops, kentucky. taking on ole miss. second half. julius mays hits kyle kilsher for the jam. later, ryan horrow, kentucky up four. holloway up for the dunk, but denied by noel. take another look. noel with a school record 12 blocks in the game.

again, another block, this time on holloway. mays in transition. up to good winn. an 87-74 win. i'm cassidy hubbarth. that was your "sportscenter" update. thanks, cassidy. here comes the bride, all dressed in purple. and a hollywood comeback. the "entourage" crew like you have never seen them before. clusters of pustules, pimples. i had this shingle rash right next to my spine. the soreness was excruciating. it was impossible to even think about dancing. when you're dancing, your partner is holding you. so, his hand would have been right in the spot that i had the shingles. no tango. no rhumba. you can't be touched.

for more of the inside story, visit shinglesinfo.com softens the enamel so it can potentially erode. once that enamel is gone, it's gone. my dentist recommended pronamel. pronamel protects your teeth from the effects of acid erosion. i don't have to cut out the things that i love in my diet. i love the fact that quicken loans provides va loans. quicken loans understood the details and guided me through every step of the process. i know wherever the military sends me, i can depend on quicken loans. because she thinks it's too dark, and so i brought her some blonde roast. she loves it now. "my son made me this coffee," "you should try it, it's delicious." ♪ capella university understands nurses are dealing with a than wider range of issues.."

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about today. starting with a movie deal that would make ari gold proud. >> my favorite story of the day. warner brothers is giving the green light to a movie version of the hit hbo show "entourage." deals are in the works to bring back the whole gang, vince, e., turtle, and everyone's favorite agent, ari gold. the movie will pick up six months after the finale, a shooting date has not yet been set. a cliff hanger when the show was over. he got the job to run the studio. he was tempted between the job and his marriage. >> i liked "sex and the city" movie one and two. >> and two? >> that's right. >> we'll debate that after the show. a bride in maryland is looking forward to the wedding in new orleans. can you tell 44-year-old laura

is perhaps a ravens fan. >> her fiance asked for her hand two years ago. she said she would not get married until she won the lottery or her ravens made the super bowl. >> now she has her purposed gown she's going the wear in their wedding ceremony in new orleans on sunday. she'll keep it on attending the game with her man who will then be her husband. >> there are fans and then there are super fans. >> she's a super fan. and finally, working out is always a really good idea. or is it? we offer a video called the people versus fitness. >> it's easy to get the gist. normal folks trying to get fit and having real problems doing it. despite the evidence, doctors say exercise is good for you. ouch. is the that one was a whole treadmill fell apart on him. that was good. that's we i don't exercise.

too many health risks. >> for some of you, your local news sup next. for the rest of you, an jaufr noon jaunt 200 feet up? okay. ready... mm-hmm. ...smile. ♪ happy valentine's day. [ female announcer ] time it just right for valentine's day and save 30% on these diamond fashions from kay jewelers. just one more reason kay is the number one jewelry store in america. ready... [ camera flash ] ♪ every kiss begins with kay in the middle of the night it can be frustrating. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction

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♪ updating the top story, the dow opens this morning about 43 points from the 14,000 mark. it's now at its highest level since october 2007. >> open the 401(k)s folks. john kerry could be sworn in as secretary of state as early as today. his temporary replacement in the senate will be named later today. storms in the southover night. a twister in arkansas sent poles crashing into homes. winds topped 80 miles an hour. snow from kansas to michigan. violent storms from new orleans into the ohio valley. well, finally from us, a

high wire thakt had thousands holding their breath every step of the way. >> tight rope specialist nik wallenda went for a walk high above sarasota, florida, on tuesday. open for him, this was no stroll through the park. one very delicate step at a time, nik wallenda put one foot in front of the other, walking nearly 600 feet over a tight rope 200 feet up. >> nice and steady. >> reporter: whether walking over a highway or his june stroll over niagara falls, he says walking the wire is always a challenge. >> i take them all just the same. they're all just as serious as the last. every single one i'm risking my life. i never get to the point of complacency. >> reporter: an ems crew was was on hand just in case. he made his way across a wire no wider than a nickel. at one point, taking a knee and

blowing kisses to the crowd. while supervised by his father and circus workers below responding to his every move. >> go easy. >> who do i need to spank when i get down? >> reporter: that wire is his lifeline. no net, no safety tether. just balance and nerves, protecting him from a 10-mile-an-hour gust of wind and the laws of gravity. don't think for a second he wubt keenly aware of it. >> i can't get your guys to move ahead enough. hold on. >> easy for you the say hold on. i'm up here. >> reporter: despite haul that, he made it look easy. he finished with a fist pump in celebration. back on the ground, nik joked about having his kids join the family business. >> absolutely not. >> maybe the kids